torsdag 6. november 2014

/If you are going on a cruise you will most likely meet people who have cruised several times before and people who are doing it for the first time. I have been on a cruise a few times, however there are some things I can never remember, important information that I really wished I knew. So the here comes the info you definitely will need on a cruise and that you can't find in any brochure./
Skal man på cruise så vil man møte mennesker som har gjort dette mange ganger og mennesker som er på cruise for første gang. Jeg har faktisk vært på cruise flere ganger, men allikevel er det litt informasjon jeg skulle ønske jeg hadde på forhånd. Ting man ikke husker fra gang til gang blant annet. Her kommer derfor de tipsene cruiseselskapene kanskje ikke gir deg og ting man så inderlig skulle ønske man viste før man gikk om bord.

1. Tipping culture.

This might vary from cruise line to cruise line, however on
Royal Caribbean (which I cruised with this time) they add 12 dollars pr person a day on you r stateroom billing account for this purpose. However, at the end of your cruise they leave one (1) envelope where you can leave money for a person that you think deserve it. To be honest, everyone who works for a cruiseline deserve all the money they can get beacause they do a great job. The real question is how much more tips shall you give and to whom? I do not have the answer for this but all I can say is that I wish I was loaded with money so I could tip everyone huge.

Remember to bring a bikini and clothes for inside wear (aircondition warning) even though it is warm outside. Men are not allowed to wear shorts in the diningroom area so bring a few trouser or pants. Very hot outfit for men in Europe is nice shorts and a suit jacket. Fasionable but I don't know if that would be accepted on the cruise ship. Also read the information from the cruise line regarding clothing as there will be formal dinner where people dress up really nicely. I mention bikini because I forgot mine (horrible, horrible mistake), there where no shops that sold any and after two days we got to the first port of Call where I could buy a bikini for 50 dollars!/Ikke glem bikini! Glem heller ikke at man er mye innendørs når man er på båten på kvelden og da er det greit med air condition så bukser er ikke for varmt. Les info man får fra cruise operatøren for det finnes regler om hva man kan ha på seg og ikke. Gutter kan ikke gå i shorts i restaurantene (bare buffet området), ingen singletter på gutter, eller slipperser. Det er også viktig at man tar med seg pen tøy til de formelle middagene. Folk pynter seg veldig på RCCL i alle fall. Jeg nevnte at man ikke burde glemme bikini. Jeg gjorde nemlig det og det var ikke mulig å kjøpe en på båten og første mulighet var etter to dager på havet da vi gikk i land på ¨vår første stopp. Der kostet de 50 dollar./

4. Stateroom.

Yes, a balcony is nice but not necessary. If the price difference is not that big I would og for it, but if it is a huge difference I probably would just chose a room that has a window (try to figure that out). Why you need a window? To check the weather outside :) On the other hand, the rooms with the balcony might be bigger. Anyway, you don't spend that much time in your stateroom. /Det er veldig fint med en balkong, men man bruker ikke så mye tid verken der eller på rommet. Er det enorme pris forskjeller på rom typene så hadde jeg ikke brukt masse ekstra penger på balkong rom. Men de rommene er nok litt større enn de uten og det er jo litt ok å ha. Uansett så burde man i alle fall ha et rom med vindu om det lar seg gjøre, da kan du jo sjekke været./

5. Excurcions.

No need to stand in the consierge desk to book you excurcions, it is always packed with people. Use your TV in your stateroom to book it. You will be able to see a presentation of all the different excursions that they offer as well. You stateroom bill is also available there.

You might get a dinner table with other people. However that is a lot of fun. We have been on a few cruises but this was the first time we were on a table with 6 other people. We had a great time and everyone got along great. We all fell in love with our servers, they were great, Jerica and Orlando.

8. What's happening onboard.
You get a cruise Compass every day so you can easily know what is going on at all times. Do not miss any comedy night, the Love and Marriage game show, and the Quest (only 18 and up). If you do not wan't to risk being draged out on the floor during the Quest, get a seat in the back. My husband had the privilege to participate without really signing up for it. Hilarious. Oh, and you don't need to Remember what day it is, just walk into the elevator and you will know.